Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha... Unless… (Evil grin) Rumiko Takashi gets bored with it and I happen to have a freakishly large amount of money to buy it! (Evil laugh!)… Now, on with the story.
A/N: um... This fic happened after Naraku was defeated by Inu-Yasha's group. Also, in this fic the old well will be permanently closed after Kagome decides to leave the past.
Chapter 1 – Farewell
The weather was seemingly fine today. It was sunny and there were no clouds in sight. The luscious green grass seemed to dance and play with the gentle breeze.
The vivid and breathtaking view of the valley was then accompanied by a beautiful melody. A melody incomparable to those that even exist.
The melody was soon joined by another sound. The sound of footsteps heading to an old well. But mind you! The well mentioned wasn't just an ordinary well. It was the well that served as a bridge between two distinct worlds: the past and the future.
Now, the footsteps that were heard before belonged to none other than the Inu gang. Thinking about the past, people who knew might expect the former priestess' reincarnation, Kagome, bickering with the half demon, Inu yasha, while the rest of the group followed. But something was not right. All was quiet. There was no demon, no threat. Still, the group continued to walk to the well in silence.
Everyone's so quiet. I can't stand this. I have to do something. I have to say something at least. Kagome thought.
She was about to speak. But the words didn't seem to come out from her mouth the moment they arrived at the well.
The group stared at the well like it will do something horrible to them.
Kagome looked at her friends. She saw Sango still looking at the well as if it was about to take something dear to her. She saw Miroku, who began playing with the beads around his hand where his Kazaana once lay. He never did remove those beads even though his Kazaana was gone. She then glanced at Inu Yasha who looked like he found the grass at his feet interesting all of a sudden.
"I... Inu-"
Kagome was about to call his attention when she felt something, or rather, someone shaking.
She turned her attention to her folded arms where she put the little kitsune, Shippo.
He was crying.
"Ka..Ka.. Kagome… Are you going to leave us… " Shippo wailed to Kagome.
He didn't want her to leave. After all, he did consider her as his own mother. She was very special to her. But nothing could have prepared him for her departure.
"Shippo… Naraku's dead… and the Shikon shards have been finally completed. I have nothing left to do here anymore." Kagome said while she glanced to where Inu- yasha is. That's right. There's nothing left for me to do now.
She remembered the time when she first saw Kikyou in Inu-Yasha's arms. They were both happy and Inu-Yasha seems to be at peace whenever he was with HER. She also remembered the time they kissed while she hid behind the trees and watched the heartbreaking scene in front of her.
She loved Inu-Yasha… With all her heart. She was also willing to sacrifice her life for him because of her love. It was kind of stupid you know. She loved him dearly but he never properly reciprocated that love. She loved him. But... she never told him that… for he already loved somebody else… Kikyou..
She knew it was selfish but… she wanted to leave the past. She wanted to leave the past because the one that Inu-Yasha loves was not her, but her incarnation, Kikyou.
She could not bear the pain any longer. Knowing that he does not love her, she decided to leave the past. Her once second home.
All the thoughts that were running in Kagome's mind fled when she felt Shippo trembling.
Shippo began to cry… hysterically. It was a lot harder. He began to shake uncontrollably in Kagome's arms.
Sango, tears also building in her beautiful eyes, then came forward to take Shippo from Kagome but she was taken aback when Shippo slapped her hand.
"Kagome… please don't leave me… please…" Shippo pleaded while he tightly clutched Kagome's blouse.
"Shippo, please don't take it the wrong way. You know that I love you very much. All of you. But… I can't stay here any longer. I do not belong here…" She felt her heart ached when she realized that she said those words. Those were the same words that Kikyou said to her. They always haunted her.
Nevertheless, she couldn't do anything about that any longer.
It was all over.
"Shippo… please don't cry… Sango, Miroku… even Kirara… will be here for you. Stop crying now..." she said to the little kitsune who finally stopped crying.
"Kagome… I'll miss you!" the kitsune retorted.
"I'll miss you too…"
She then kissed the kitsune and gave him to Sango.
"Sango, please take care of Shippo for me. And please… take care of yourself too. Okay?" Kagome told Sango.
"Of course I will…" Sango said. She moved closer to Kagome and gave her a hug.
Kagome had been a best friend and a sister to her. They were so close to each other. So close that she was very afraid to let Kagome go. She was very afraid to let another person she loved go.But..
It's for the best. Sango thought. She has a family in her own world.
She let Kagome go.
After being released from Sango's hug, she, again, was enveloped in another hug. It was only fiercer than Sango's.
Miroku hugged her tightly, also not wanting to let her go. He may slightly be perverted… oh alright! He IS perverted but he still cared deeply for Kagome. Not like the care he gave to the women he asked to bear his children but like a little sister.
Everything was so quiet except for the sniffles that Shippo made every now and then.
SMACK!
"Miroku!" Kagome snapped when Miroku groped her.
"Sorry Kagome… I couldn't help it!" Miroku replied while started to laugh.
"Well... That's one thing... I guess you will never change!" Kagome started to laugh too.
She finally turned to look at Inu-Yasha. He was just standing there.
Baka! Inu-Yasha no baka! Kagome mentally screamed at herself.
"Inu-Yasha… Osuwari!" Kagome yelled.
Right then and there, Inu-Yasha plunged to the ground. Getting himself some grass in his mouth.
"WENCH! What was that for?" Inu-Yasha yelled at Kagome who seemed to be enjoying what she had done.
Hearing Inu-Yasha, she immediately stopped. At that moment, her face became serious.
"Inu-Yasha, can I talk to you for a few seconds? Alone?" Kagome asked him, almost pleadingly.
"Feh! Yeah! Sure! Whatever!" Inu-Yasha retorted and tried to look like he didn't really care.
However, his face was the exact opposite to what he was really feeling inside.
He felt like he wanted to cry. He wanted to step forward and grab Kagome so that he could hug her, feel her warmth and smell her luscious scent of jasmine and cinnamon.
Here he was, standing to the girl he likes. Like? Was that what he really felt for her? Like? He didn't really know. He was confused. He was confused about his feelings for Kikyou and Kagome.
He knew that he loved Kikyou… but what about Kagome? Like? Was that really all?
His trail of thoughts broke when Kagome began to speak.
"Inu-Yasha?"
"Hm?"
"Um… I guess.. This is goodbye…"
"Uh... Right... Whatever….." at that precise moment, his dog ears became to droop. It only means that he felt sad about this.
"Inu-Yasha… um... Here…" she handed the Shikon no Tama, the jewel that brought her to him.
"What am I going to do it?" he asked, ears still drooping.
"Well... While you were sleeping outside, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and I talked about who was going to make a wish from the Shikon no Tama. We all came to a decision that that you should be the one to make the wish. So... You could be a full demon… or… something…" Kagome calmly told Inu-yasha.
"Oh... Right…."
Everything became quiet. It was like time stood still between Inu-Yasha and Kagome.
Kagome held the Shikon in front of Inu-Yasha. He reluctantly grabbed it from her hand.
"Uh… A… Arigatou…. Kagome…"
"Inu-Yasha..."
"What is it?"
"I… I have to tell you something… since the well will soon be closed after my departure.. I… I…" Kagome still hesitated. She still hesitated whether she should tell him her feelings for him. But… she was going to leave right? She didn't want to have any regrets. It was now or never!
"I... I…"
Inu-Yasha was getting impatient. He wasn't really good at waiting.
"Feh! Hurry up, wench! I haven't got all day, you know!"
"Inu-Yasha…. OSUWARI!"
Again, Inu-Yasha plunged to the ground.
"Inu-Yasha.. Anataga suki desu! Itsumo! Itsumademo! I love you Inu-Yasha… I really do.." after saying those words, she immediately ran back to the well with tears in her eyes. At that time, she didn't want to hear Inu-Yasha's undying speech about his love and loyalty to Kikyou. She couldn't and wouldn't take it.
What? Did my ears deceive me? Or did I hear Kagome say that she loves me?
Yes, she did, stupid! She said that she loved you! Now, go after her before she leaves.
Huh? Who the heck are you?
I'm your other half! Duh! Idiot! Now stop contemplating about who the hell I am and go after her! Besides, it scares me when you think!
I... can't… I made a promise to Kikyou… that I would go to hell with her… and that I would never leave her again…
Idiot! Why can't you forget about that damn woman! Why can't you see that she only wanted to use you!
She would ne-
Oh shut the f up! You know that she only wanted to use you so that she could be a normal woman… so that she wouldn't have to serve that stupid village as their priestess.. their protector! You know that but you just couldn't accept that fact!
No… that's not true…
You know… you're really stupid… wait.. that was an understatement. Let's see… what could be the right word for you… hm.. Brainless? Dull? Dim-witted? Dense? Slow? Num-nuts? I could never understand why you deserve someone like Kagome… maybe… it would be better if she leaves you and decides not to come back ever again. Then you could spend the rest of your fing life with that hollow-shell of a woman you call Kikyou! Your love! Feh! If that's what you call your love! Then Damn your love!
Shut up! I can't think with you constantly nagging me to death!
Oh-ho! You? Thinking? Oh my dear gods… it seems like the world is going to end! You couldn't even reason that Kagome's better than Kikyou and that Kikyou just tried to use you! And now you tell me that you're thinking! If I were you, I would head to Kagome right at this mo-
Okay! All right already! Just shut up!
"So… I guess this is it guys…. I'm glad that… I was able to meet all of you….."
Kagome stopped talking when she was brought into a very tight but gentle group hug…
"Goodbye everyo-"
Kagome couldn't continue what she had said. It brings her great pain to say goodbye to the people she got to know and loved for almost three and a half years.
"I love you everyone…. I hope that…s... Someday… we can meet again…"
Not wanting to look back and see her friends' sad faces, she immediately jumped into the old well.
Inu-Yasha came back only to see Kagome disappear inside the old well.
He went into a run but it was too late. He only saw the blue lights that engulfed Kagome disappear.
"Inu-Yasha?"
A sobbing Sango went to greet him.
"What is it, Sango?"
"What did Kagome tell you?"
"It's nothing... It's nothing important"
Feh! Nothing important my butt!
Shut up!
Like hell I would after you let Kagome go! She wanted to stay here… with you! And deep down… you knew it!
"I said SHUT UP!" Inu-Yasha growled.
Sango and Miroku were startled. It seemed like they were having a meeting of their own. He also woke up the sleeping Shippo.
"What is it Inu-Yasha? What's wrong?" asked the monk.
"N-Nothing…"
"Okay… Well… I'm going back to Kaede's village with Sango and Shippo… it seems like she still couldn't get over the fact that…. Kagome's gone."
"O..Okay… yeah.. Fine by me…"
Inu-Yasha was left alone to ponder with the thoughts that recently bothered him when the others went back to the vaillage.
Sango, along with Miroku and Shippo, walked back to the village.
She never imagined that someday Kagome would leave. She turned Miroku in hopes of obtaining comfort after Kagome's departure.
"Miroku…"
"Yes Lady Sango?" Miroku stared into the youkai exterminator's eyes.
Sango carefully thought about what she was going to say. But, somehow, Miroku seemed to know what she was about to say.
"Do you think Inu-Yasha and Kagome are going to be alright? I mean… Kagome does love him… but Inu-Yasha still confused about his feelings towards her."
"You're right, Lady Sango. Well, I just hope that they won't regret anything after all that has happened."
Sango just nodded in agreement and walked towards the village in silence.
A/N: Okay! That's it for my first chapter. Please Review. I would really appreciate it… a lot! So please, oh please… review for my story… okay? It will give some idea whether you liked my story… or not! Sniff… Oh yeah! Thanks to Watanabe Emi for being my beta-reader!